Adventures In Pancake Art

We are having a fantastic weekend.  Zach and I were inspired yesterday by watching some videos at Jim's Pancakes (you may remember Jim from a previous post).  So armed with some new little plastic bottles I got for free at Michael's yesterday (courtesy of their $5 coupon), we decided to try our hand at some pancake art this morning.  It was surprisingly easy.  You could get all fancy and make your own homemade pancake batter, but I just use a mix.  All I have to add is water, and some cinnamon & vanilla - 'cuz I like to jazz it up a bit (you know me, always coloring outside the lines!).  Zach had his heart set on a turtle pancake, so we followed Jim's tutorial HERE.  Here's what I learned:

• I made the first turtle pancake, and then Zach insisted that he could make his own.  You know what?  He was right.  His turtle pancake turned out awesome.  And he gobbled it all down because, as I've come to learn, when kids have a hand in fixing the food, they WILL eat it.  This is something your kids CAN do, and they WILL want to.  You'll be surprised by how creative they can be.
• Your pancake batter must have absolutely NO LUMPS.  Trust me, when squirting batter out of a little bottle, lumps are the enemy.  They will clog up the bottle, and nothing will come out, or when you try to force it out it will all squirt out in a big gross lump ruining your masterpiece.  Keep a needle at the ready in case you do get a clog.  I got mine from my husband sewing kit (yes, HE is as handy with a sewing machine as a Drill!).
• When writing on your pancake - you need to do it BACKWARDS.  (I found this out the hard way).
• Really, and truly, this was not much more time intensive than just making regular ol' pancakes.  And it was a LOT more fun.  Typically on Sundays the kids watch cartoons while I fix breakfast by my lonesome.  This morning we were ALL out in the kitchen experimenting and it was nice, quality family time (something we need more of).

You can also read more about pancake art from THIS post.  We will most assuredly be making pancake art again.  The possibilities are endless - from simple smiley faces, to writing someone's name, to intricate pieces (check out Jim's site for inspiration).  Here's a peek inside the Park house this morning.  I hope you're inspired to have just a little more fun with your food!